Atiku’s wife: He’s not after your money, just giving back

Mrs Titi Abubakar, wife of African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has insisted that her husband is not seeking the presidency to enrich himself but to repay society for the opportunities it gave him.

Speaking at the ADC All Support Groups Town Hall Meeting in Abuja on Thursday, and in remarks captured in a video later shared by TV Platinum on X, Titi defended Atiku’s latest bid for the 2027 election. She described him as a proven philanthropist and seasoned administrator who would not need on-the-job training.

“Atiku is a sellable material. That is why I’m so proud of my husband. Atiku is a philanthropist. Atiku has done it before. Atiku is not going to learn on the job, and Atiku is not a novice,” she said.

Addressing persistent questions about why the former vice-president, who turns 80 this year, is still in the race, Titi was direct: “Atiku doesn’t want Nigerians’ money. Atiku just wants to give back to the society what the society has done for him. Because many people keep saying, what is he looking for? Very soon, he’s going to be 80.” She added that he is “a man of honour, a man of his word” who is “not coming to chop government money.”

She said Atiku has pledged to serve only one term if elected, yet predicted that strong performance would leave Nigerians demanding a second. In that first term, she added, he would mentor his running mate — former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi — so the deputy could potentially succeed him.

“By the grace of God, when Atiku comes to this saddle, people will yearn that Atiku should continue and do a second term. By then, he would have tutored his deputy; maybe the deputy will take over from him,” she stated. Atiku, she said, also wants to “tutor you, children, how politics is being made.”

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Titi painted a bleak picture of current conditions under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “Now, today, we have no constitution. We have no rule of law. Nothing is working. Our economy is in shambles. Right from 2023 up to date, there is no budget in Nigeria. And I wonder how people are living. I wonder how people are eating,” she said. She claimed Atiku wants to “put things right” so Nigeria can stand proudly among other nations.

Turning to young people, whom she called the party’s “foot soldiers,” Titi urged them to mobilise at the grassroots, protect votes at polling units, and reject cash inducements. “ADC don’t have that money to give you. Don’t be a sellout. Because these people, they have all our money in their kitties. Don’t allow them to come and give you money and you sell your conscience. If you sell your vote, you are selling the vote of your generation yet unborn.” She noted Atiku’s promise that youths and women would receive 40 per cent of government appointments if he wins.

The intervention comes as the ADC positions itself for the 2027 contest, with Atiku having secured the party’s presidential ticket earlier this year. Titi’s comments form part of a broader effort by the campaign to counter scepticism about his age and motives while highlighting experience and a commitment to mentorship and institutional reform.